Finding Serenity
by SelimPensFiction
Summary: On the road to recovery after being shot, Castle and Beckett embark on a cruise. After all, what could go wrong? Especially when the captain is an old friend by the name of Malcolm Reynolds.
1. Chapter 1

Genevieve Papineau frowned as she noted Richard Castle's vitals. It wasn't that they were off; they were actually quite good. Certainly stronger than expected so soon after surgery. _But he's Richard Castle_ , she thought with a sigh. She'd read all the Derrick Storm books, had cried when that series ended, and was now enthralled by Nikki Heat. The release date of the next book was circled on her calendar.

She'd met him before, several times before, if book signings counted. She thought they did. He'd seemed so… vital. Positively eager to connect with his readers. Always ready with a joke and a twinkle in his eye. Perhaps not as flirtatious as in earlier years, but with good reason.

And now, here he was, shot down by some crazy person, unconscious following emergency surgery.

It wasn't lucky that he'd been shot, but If he had to be shot, then he _was_ lucky. No vital organs had been damaged and they'd been able to remove all the bullet fragments. What a change from when she'd last seen him. Now he was pale, almost lifeless but for his shallow breathing.

 _Well, best move on to other patients_. But something stopped Papineau in her tracks. Did she imagine it, or…? Yes! His eyelids were fluttering and… there. His right hand twitched. Good Lord, if he was waking up already, he must have the constitution of a horse.

His lips moved, but Papineau could hear nothing.

Bending over so that she could whisper in his ear, she said, "You've had surgery, Mr. Castle. You're in recovery. You're going to be fine. You need to rest now."

Standing up again, she examined his face. His lips moved again. She lowered her face closer to his so as to better hear him.

"Beckett," he whispered, and then grabbed her arm with surprising strength. "Where's Beckett?"

His eyes were open now. Those blue eyes that she'd seen sparkle with the joy of life were now dark clouds of… what? Anger? Concern? Both?

"Your wife is still in surgery, Mr. Castle. Please, let go, you're hurting my arm."

Castle released her instantly. "Sorry," he mumbled. "Sorr…" and then he passed out again.

* * *

Sometime later, when he was more or less awake, though still woozy, Castle was moved to a private room in the surgical unit. His body was aching from head to toe, his mouth as dry as… as… an extra dry martini? No, that was no good. The desert? Too trite. Oh well, for now his mouth was just really really dry. Purple prose would have to wait.

He was about to ring for a nurse when a man walked in. He was middle-aged, dark haired, a day's stubble on his face, with an ID badge pinned to his white lab coat.

After frowning over Castle's chart for a moment, the man said, "Name's McCoy. Doctor Leonard McCoy."

Castle's eyes widened.

"No," the man said, "not _that_ Leonard McCoy."

"Where's Beckett?" Castle asked. "No one will tell me."

" _You're_ doing fine," said McCoy. "For a man who was just shot. We'll take more x-rays tomorrow and if they come back negative then we'll discharge you."

"Beckett," said Castle.

"She's in ICU," said McCoy with a sigh. "We're keeping her sedated for now. She came out of surgery fine but there was a lot of internal bleeding. However, I think we got everything tied up and there's every reason to hope she'll make a full recovery."

"I need to see her," Castle said.

"Thought you might say that," said McCoy. "I'll get someone to wheel you up to her room. Half an hour. Then you need to get back to bed. You can't help her if you don't look after yourself."

"Thanks," said Castle. "Half an hour."

An orderly showed up a few minutes later to help Castle into a wheelchair. He'd been about to protest that he didn't need help, but as soon as he sat up he felt sufficiently light-headed that he kept quiet. _Thou doth protest too soon_ , he thought. He _did_ have enough presence of mind to wrap the hospital gown around his back. When he was seated, the orderly put a blanket over his lap to cover his legs.

 _Perfect_ , thought Castle. _Here comes the helpless old man_.

All thoughts of himself disappeared, however, when they reached Beckett's room.

"Oh, Beckett," he said.

The orderly placed him beside her bed, then said he'd be back in half an hour. Castle scarcely heard him.

Beckett was attached to an IV drip and oxygen mask. A clip on one of her fingers was attached to the heart monitor. She was pale as a ghost, the rise and fall of her chest barely visible.

Leaning forward, Castle ran a hand through her hair and took her hand. "This was close, Beckett. Too close. We've been pushing our luck for too long. One day it's going to catch up with us. Maybe we need to take some time off. Figure out what's really important."

* * *

The following day, Doctor McCoy was checking Beckett's chart while a nurse took her vitals. Just then, Beckett's eyes began to flutter.

McCoy approached Beckett just as she opened her eyes.

"You've been shot," McCoy said gently. "You're in the hospital. You're going to be okay."

Beckett licked her lips then whispered, "Castle."

McCoy shook his head. "Well _that_ figures."

* * *

"I come bearing good news," Nurse Papineau told Castle.

"Do tell," said Castle.

"First, you're going to be discharged today," said Papineau. "Second, your wife is awake. You can go see her as soon as you sign the paperwork."

"Well that's the best news I've heard all day," said Castle. "Bring on the paper."

"I will in a moment," said Papineau. "First, well, I'm going to be completely unprofessional."

"What do you…" Castle began. But before he could finish, Papineau planted a soft kiss on his lips. Then she smiled and left him to get dressed.

"Okay…" Castle said to himself.

* * *

A short time later, Castle entered Beckett's room, this time fully dressed and on his own two legs. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," said Beckett. She was still hooked up to the IV, but there was no sign of the oxygen mask.

Castle sat beside her and gently grasped her hand. _She's weak_ , he thought. _Weak and still so pale_.

Doctor McCoy entered the room and planted himself at the head of the bed.

"You should make a full recovery, Mrs. Castle," he said, "but you'll need an extended period of recuperation. Don't even think about going back to work for a few months."

Beckett nodded her understanding. Castle said, "Hey, this could be a good time to take that motorcycle holiday."

McCoy coughed. "A motorcycle holiday? Are you kidding me? _Gentle_ recuperation is what you need."

Castle's face fell. "Okay," he said, "What kind of holiday do you suggest?"

"I don't know," said McCoy. "I'm a doctor, not a travel agent."

Before Castle's eyes could leap out of their sockets, McCoy shook head and said, "Don't even. Still, _something_ relaxing is what you want. Maybe a cruise would be more the thing."

"A cruise…" said Castle, his eyes drifting away.

"What is it?" said Beckett.

"I just had an idea," Castle beamed.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," said Beckett.

A month after Beckett was discharged, Castle made some phone calls and booked their trip. They boarded a plane to Amsterdam where they checked into The Dylan, a five-star hotel in the historic centre of the city. After three nights of rest, food, canal cruises, and strolls, they flew on to Cape Town where they were now standing on a dock. At the end of the dock, tethered with several lengths of thick rope, their cruise ship was moored.

"What?" said Castle.

"We're going to travel up the coast of Africa in this thing?"

"Shhh!" Castle admonished. "The captain's very proud of his boat."

"What a piece of junk," said Beckett as she glared at Castle.

"That's what Luke Skywalker said about the Millennium Falcon," Castle pointed out.

"And then he got his hand chopped off. By his father."

"Well I promise no one will lose any body parts on this trip," said Castle.

The hull was a dull, metallic grey, some 300 feet long. The head of the ship, where the bridge was located, rose from the midsection and rested above water level. The midsection was fatter, bulbous in shape, its port and starboard sides fitted with detachable skiffs. The stern dipped below water level, but this close to the boat you could see that it ended in a round assembly that housed a large propellor. The boat's construction reminded Castle of an insect for some reason.

Castle spotted the Captain as he exited the boat and walked towards them down the gangplank.

"Look," said Castle. "Here he comes. Remember, he _loves_ this boat, so be good."

"Castle. You know me," Beckett said with a wink.

"All too well," Castle said with a sign, earning him a poke in the ribs.

"Richard Castle!" the captain said. "Been too long." With that, he and Castle shook hands. And shook hands. And as they continued to shake hands, their smiles became strained, and then turned into grimaces, and still they shook hands.

"Oh please," said Beckett. "I'm drowning in testosterone here."

The men broke their handshake, flexed their fingers, and then the captain grinned at Beckett. "My apologies, Mrs. Castle. Malcolm Reynolds, at your service."


	2. Chapter 2

"So," said Beckett. "Here we are. In the lap of luxury."

The captain had led them through the cargo hold, up some bare metal stairs, past the infirmary - the doctor had waved cheerily at them - then along an apparently empty corridor. That's when he'd pulled on a metal hatch that was hinged on top so that it flipped up from floor level. A ladder led them to down to their quarters, their home away from home for the next while.

Beckett had seen closets bigger than this. And better decorated. The room contained a double bed, a desk and wooden chair, a floor-standing plant, and some book shelves. One wall featured a large map of Africa and its surrounding ocean currents. Next to that map was a smaller plan of _Serenity's_ floor plan and exits.

Castle grinned as he unpacked their clothes and placed them in the small closet and adjacent shelving unit. "Isn't it great?" he said. "Rustic simplicity. Just what we need."

"Rustic," repeated Beckett. "Yes, that's one way of putting it."

Castle stored the empty suitcase under the bed, sat down, and patted the spot to his left. Beckett sat beside him.

Taking her hand, Castle winked and said, "Anyway, we have a bed. How much more do we really need?"

Beckett smiled faintly in return. Then, with downcast eyes, she said, "Castle, I…"

"Look," Castle interrupted. "Seriously. Please don't think I'm ever going to rush you. Or pressure you. Only you can decide when you're ready. And I'll only be ready when you are."

Beckett's smile broadened. "Actually, Castle, what I was going to say was…" and she put her lips next to his ear and whispered.

Beckett then sat back, looked at Castle, and said, "Castle! Are you blushing?"

"What? No. No, of course not. That was just pretty… direct. And fabulous. Yes, direct and fabulous. So..."

"So…" said Beckett. But she let her actions complete her sentence. Grabbing Castle's legs, she lifted them onto the bed. Then she swung her legs over, straddling him, and pushed him down so that he lay flat on the bed.

"You're right about one thing, Castle," she said. "We'll do this when I'm good and ready. And right now I'm…"

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Beckett's head drooped, then she groaned and fell onto the bed beside Castle.

"Hold that thought," said Castle, as he got to his feet and up approached the door. "Yes?" he called up.

The hatch opened and a face popped into view. "Hi. Mind if I come down for a minute?"

Castle glanced back and saw that Becket was now sitting up on the edge of the bed, shaking her head no. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the man, and said, "Sure."

The man climbed down the ladder deftly, holding a large canvas bag in one hand. He was older, with long grey hair tied into a ponytail, and plainly dressed in grey shirt and black trousers.

"I'm Derrial Book," he said, shaking hands with Castle and nodding towards Beckett. "You can call me Derrial, but most people call me Shepherd."

"Why's that?" Beckett asked.

"Well, I used to be a Chaplain," said Book.

"Used to be?" said Castle.

"Let's just say these days I'm more of an undercover shepherd. I've found that the road to salvation starts with good food. And with that thought in mind…"

Book reached into the canvas bag and handed Castle a bottle of wine and then a plate of assorted cheese and crackers. Lastly, he placed two wine glasses and a corkscrew on the desk.

"To welcome you on board," said Book. "Hopefully this will keep you going until dinner. We eat at 1900 hours. Any food allergies I should be aware of?"

"No," said Beckett, speaking for both of them. "We're just allergic to bad food."

"I hear you," said Book with a smile. "Hopefully you won't find any here. The galley's always open, so come and grab anything you can find if you get hungry. Breakfast and lunch are pretty informal on _Serenity_. But we generally eat our dinner together."

"Sounds perfect," said Castle. "And thanks for this," he said, hefting the wine bottle. "I'm sure we'll put this to good use."

Book coloured slightly and said, "I'm sure you will. See you at 1900 then."

And with that, Book grabbed the canvas bag and climbed the ladder, shutting the door to their cabin behind him.

"Well," said Castle, brandishing the wine bottle. "Things are looking up."

It was a 2012 South African wine, a Pinotage. "Hmm. Interesting," said Castle. "I've never tried a South African before."

After uncorking the bottle, Castle poured a little into a glass, swirled it around, sniffed gingerly, then took a gulp, letting it linger in his mouth before swallowing.

"I think, Madame," said Castle, "that you will find this most satisfactory."

Castle poured a glass for Beckett, then filled his own. Placing both on the cheese tray, he placed the tray next to Beckett, sat down, and handed her a glass.

"Cheers," said Beckett and Castle together as they clinked their glasses.

"Not bad," said Beckett after taking a sip.

"But perhaps Madame would care for some cheese? Perhaps some of the Gouda?"

Castle cut off a sliver of the cheese and placed it in Beckett's mouth. Her lips enveloped not only the cheese, but his fingers, lingering for a few seconds before releasing them.

Castle swallowed. "Perhaps Madame would care for more?"

Nodding, Beckett said, "That was delicious." But as Castle reached for the cheese, she added, "Not the cheese."

"Ah," said Castle. Placing the glasses back on the tray, he put the tray on the desk, and rejoined Beckett, leaning into her.

"Perhaps Madame would enjoy exploring this further?"

"Oh shut up and come here," said Beckett.

But just before their lips could touch, there was another knock.

"Are you kidding me?" said Castle.

"We seriously need a 'Do Not Disturb' sign," said Beckett.

"Don't worry. Whoever this is, I'll get rid of them."

Walking towards the ladder, Castle called up, "Come in!"

The hatch opened and Castle saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her face was… flawless. Her eyes as dark as her hair. Her smile, with those red lips, was gentle, mysterious, and inviting. Her long hair was pulled up and the top of her dress cut low, so as she leaned down towards Castle…

Wait a minute.

Castle turned towards Beckett and let out a sigh. No. Beckett was definitely the more beautiful. And yet… he turned back, looked up at the woman and… he was lost.

 _What? DId she just say something?_

"Sorry," said Castle. "What was that?"

The woman's smile broadened, and once again Castle was lost.

"I just wondered if I could come down for a moment," she said.

"Um, sure," said Castle, glancing back nervously at Beckett. "No problem."

Beckett threw a pillow at him. It hit him in the head. Castle tossed it onto the bed before the woman reached the floor.

"Hi," she said. Her voice was soothing, but at the same time sensual. Musky even. Castle's attention was rapt.

"I'm Inara, the wellness coordinator on Serenity."

Beckett got to her feet stood beside Castle, giving him a slight nudge with her elbow.

"And what does that entail?" Beckett said.

"For the most part, it's making sure you have what you need, that you're comfortable and enjoying yourselves. I also offer massages to our passengers. Some people are tense as they start a holiday. A massage can help you achieve a relaxed state much more quickly."

Castle remained speechless, though his lips moved slightly.

"Thanks for that," said Beckett, casting a brief disapproving glance in Castle's direction. "We'll let you know."

"Well," said Inara. "I'll leave you two alone. Don't forget, dinner at 1900."

"We… We'll be there," Castle said, the words stumbling as they passed his lips.

With a smile, Inara turned and climbed the ladder, closing the hatch behind her.

Castle followed her with his eyes then turned to Beckett.

"What?" he said.

"I think I'd like to take a nap," said Beckett. "Alone."

"Ah," said Castle. "Right. We'll I'll just go up top and explore a bit then."

"Do that," said Beckett, a streak of cold frosting her voice.

And Castle, as he climbed the ladder and opened the hatch door, wondered what he could possibly have done this time.


	3. Chapter 3

Castle stepped onto the floor grating, closed the door to their cabin, and swivelled his head left and right. To the right was the galley. To the left, the corridor led to a set of stairs and a closed door. No one was about.

Just then, _Serenity_ shuddered slightly, and Castle felt a vibration under his feet. They must have started the engines. There had to be an observation deck somewhere. He wanted to watch as the ship pulled away from the port. Maybe to the left...

Stepping gingerly, conscious of the sound of his shoes on the metal floor, he crept down the corridor. But he didn't get very far before he felt a pair of strong hands pin his arms behind him and shove him against the wall.

"Hey, what?" Castle said. That was before an arm encircled his neck and pressed, allowing only a thin draft of air through to his lungs. Subsequently, Castle found himself able to emit only gurgling noises and coughs.

"What you doin' here?" asked a gruff voice. "Who you tryin' to kill?"

Castle gurgled.

"Go on, speak up some. You gonna tell me or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"Our guest might better be able to talk, weren't you choking the life out of him."

The arm relaxed a bit and Castle took a deep breath. Thank goodness, it was Mal.

"Mal! Would you like to get this gorilla off of me?" said Castle.

The arm pressed against his throat again. Castle gurgled.

"Guest? I weren't told we was havin' any guests."

"This here's Richard Castle. He's our guest. We went over that at the briefing," said Mal.

The arm relaxed again. Castle breathed.

"Briefin'? I didn't know about any briefin'."

"Jayne…" said Mal.

Castle found himself free of his captor and turned to face him. "And who the hell are you?" he said.

"This is Jayne," said Mal. "Our head of security. A might overzealous at times, but still, he keeps us safe."

Jayne grimaced in Castle's direction, something Castle supposed was meant to be a smile. He smiled faintly in return.

"Got any other guests I should know about?" Jayne asked Mal.

"My wife," said Castle. "And I wouldn't try that stunt on her. She might surprise you."

Jayne grunted. "That'd be the day," he said as he left, muttering under his breath all the while.

Castle stared after him. "Was he just speaking Mandarin?"

"Jayne was brought up by a foster family in San Francisco's Chinatown," said Mal. "Picked up a few choice phrases along the way."

Castle shook his head. "Interesting boat you got here."

"You've no idea," said Mal, his face relaxing into a lopsided smile. "Where you off to, Castle?"

"I was looking for an observation deck."

"Well, there is an observation dome," said Mal. "but your best bet's the bridge. Why don't I take you up there and you can have a gander from there."

Castle blinked. "The bridge! That'd be great, thanks."

Mal escorted Castle the short walk to the bridge and introduced him to the pilot, Wash, and Mal's second in command, Zoe. Seeing that Castle was pleased to be there, and as eager to pour over the ship's controls as to look out at the receding South African coast, Mal excused himself and went to the galley in search of coffee. As he left the bridge, he smiled when he heard Castle say, "Are those dinosaurs? Cool!"

Jayne was already in the galley, seated with his chair leaning back and his feet resting on the table, sharpening one of his knives. Mal was never sure just how many knives Jayne carried with him at any one time.

After filling his mug and starting a fresh pot to brew, Mal took a seat and fell into discussing the next cargo delivery with Jayne. After a few minutes, however, Jayne became slack-jawed and glassy-eyed and unresponsive. Mal blinked, wondering if Jayne was possibly ill for the first time in… forever, when he noticed Inara enter the galley followed by Kate Beckett.

Turning back to Jayne, Mal noted a trickle of drool from Jayne's mouth as he followed the two women with his eyes until they disappeared into Inara's skiff.

Wiping his face, Jayne stood and said, "I'll be in my bunk."

* * *

Supper had been a jovial and at times uproarious affair, and a pleasant surprise for Beckett, who'd been nervous about mixing with the others. Especially after her encounter with Inara. But Inara had simply given her a perfunctory nod and was no more or less friendly than the rest of the crew.

The meal had started with a blessing from Shepherd Book, following which everyone tucked in with a vengeance. Jayne had seemed a bit sullen, and his jokes missed the mark more often than not, but even he was eventually caught up in the collective good mood. Wash and Zoe, obviously married by the ribbing and teasing and good natured mutual put-downs, told some hilarious stories about the crew's previous adventures, and about Mal in particular. Zoe was particularly interesting. Beckett sensed that not far underneath the warmth and charm was someone very dangerous. Apparently she'd served with Mal in Afghanistan.

Kaylee, with the sweetest smile Beckett had ever seen, seemed well loved by the crew. Even Jayne had been protective of her when he deemed the teasing comments to be getting out of hand. Although the youngest crew member, she was clearly competent. Brilliant even, from the stories Mal told. As the ship's engineer, there were times she'd had to keep _Serenity_ running with little more than spit and rubber bands. Interesting how her voice faltered slightly when directing a comment to Simon, the ship's doctor. Simon and his sister, River, had been smiling but largely quiet during the meal. There was something about them, something deep, and Beckett was curious.

But for now, full of food and drink, Beckett put aside thoughts of the crew and glanced at Castle as he lifted the door to their cabin. He seemed quite at home here. This was his first time on board _Serenity_ , though he'd crossed paths with Mal in the past. There were some interesting stories that he could tell, she was sure. What she wasn't so sure of was whether she wanted to hear them.

"I was looking for you before dinner," said Castle. He had descended the ladder first, then extended a hand when she reached the bottom.

Her cheeks colouring slightly, Beckett smiled faintly, then turned away. "I decided to take Inara up on her offer of a massage." Then she turned back to Castle and looked him in the eye. "Sorry about before. I was out of line."

"Nothing to apologize for," said Castle. "Did it help?"

"What?"

"The massage. Did it help?"

"Oh, yes, it really did," said Beckett. She hesitated, then added, "You know, you might want to try it out yourself. I know I can trust you. Besides, I'm pretty sure Inara favours women."

"Maybe I will," said Castle. "Wait a minute. What makes you think she prefers women?"

"Oh, I don't know, just a feeling."

Castle sat on the bed and beckoned his wife to join him. "Just a feeling," he said. "Beckett, did something happen?"

Beckett almost jumped. "Happen? Castle, the only thing that happened is I had a massage. Get your mind out of the gutter."

"But since then you think she favours women. Something happened."

"Nope."

"You know I have a way of getting the truth out of you," said Castle, his smile twisting mischievously.

"Oh no," said Beckett, sliding away from him. "No you don't."

"I just have to do that… _thing_ ," said Castle.

Then he proceeded to do it.

Beckett, unable to get away, whooped with laughter until tears streamed down her face. She had to get him to stop. And there was a pretty good weapon in her arsenal. Time to use it.

When she did, it was Castle's turn to squeal.

* * *

"Jayne?" said Mal. Mal was just about to retire for the night after ensuring the inventory was secure and accounted for. Jayne was standing in the corridor, outside of Castle and Beckett's cabin.

"Jayne?" Mal repeated.

Jayne, his eyes glassy, shook his head. Noting Mal and nodding slightly, he sad, "Just headin' to my bunk."

* * *

Castle was already gone when Beckett woke the next morning. She'd slept in. It was a rare occurrence, and she luxuriated in the warm sheets for a while before rising, dressing, and going to the galley for some breakfast. She was still there, sipping coffee and reading, when Castle emerged from Inara's skiff.

Castle froze for an instant, then poured himself some coffee and joined Beckett at the table.

"So," said Beckett.

"Morning," said Castle with a nervous smile.

There was silence for a moment. Beckett found it difficult to read Castle's expression, but something was definitely up.

"So," Beckett repeated. "How was the massage?"

"The massage?" Castle squeaked. "Fine. It was fine. I guess. Certainly relaxing. Yes, it was very relaxing."

There was another moment of silence, then Castle said, "You know, I think it's possible that Inara swings both ways."

Was he blushing slightly?

"What do you mean?" Beckett asked. "What makes you think that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Just a feeling. You know."

Beckett set down her mug and was mentally rolling up her sleeves when the PA system came on and Wash said, "Captain to the bridge. We may have a situation."

"Let's see what's going on," said Castle, rising quickly.

"Hmmm," said Beckett. "To be continued." Then she rose as well and they walked briskly towards the bridge.

Mal was already there, along with Zoe and Jayne.

"What's up?" said Castle, straining to look out the viewport.

"We may have a slight problem," said Mal. "Nothing we can't handle."

"Define slight," said Beckett.

"Pirates," said Jayne, his eyes glinting with pleasure.

* * *

 _To be concluded after the Holidays. Stay safe and warm, dear readers._


	4. Chapter 4

"How do you know they're pirates?" said Beckett.

"That would be the Jolly Roger they're flying," said Wash, pointing to the aft monitor.

The boat was long and sleek and black. It had no sails, yet there was a tall mast from which the Jolly Roger flew. Spray blew from the rear of the boat as it speed towards them, bouncing on the waves like a cowboy riding a bucking bronco.

Beckett shook her head. "What would pirates want with _this_ piece of…" Beckett paused as all heads turned towards her. "... floating elegance?"

"I can think of two things," said Mal. He didn't elaborate.

Eyes glued to the monitor, Castle said, "Pirates still fly the Jolly Roger?"

"These guys do," said Mal. "Wash?"

"They're moving pretty quickly. They'll catch us long before we can reach the shore. And I don't suppose we want to call for help, not with this cargo."

"What cargo would that be?" said Beckett.

"Time for that later," said Zoe. "How long do we have?"

"Ten minutes tops," said Wash. "We could try a reverse burn."

"Yeah," said Mal. "Do that." Then, turning to Beckett and Castle, his face alight with adrenaline, he added, "You might want to hold on to something."

Wash flipped a switch. "Kaylee? We got pirates. Can we do a reverse burn?"

A string of Mandarin came over the intercom. Castle looked to Mal. Shrugging, Mal said, "Crew's picked up a few of Jayne's choicer expressions."

"Ready," said Kaylee after a moment's delay. "Let's show 'em what this old girl can do."

Wash flicked some switches then gripped the wheel and turned, muscles on his arms and neck cording as his face reddened with the strain.

Castle and Beckett, holding onto grips attached to the panels in front of them, struggled to stay on their feet as Serenity rapidly reduced speed, turned about, then accelerated forwards. They could see the pirate boat from the window now, headed straight for them.

"This is your plan?" said Castle. "To play chicken?"

Mal turned and smiled.

"Seriously?" said Castle.

The two boats continued to speed toward each other until, at the last minute, the pirates swerved to starboard and narrowly missed colliding with _Serenity_.

All eyes turned to the monitor. The pirate boat continued past _Serenity_ , then started to come about.

"They're going to come back at us," said Jayne.

"Hmmm." Mal thought for a moment, then turned to Jayne and said, "Maybe it's time you introduced our friends to Vera."

Jayne bared his teeth in a wolf-like grin. "Be my pleasure," he said.

Mal nodded. "Castle, maybe you'd care to give Jayne some assistance."

* * *

Castle's eyes popped. "Sweet mother of…" then his mouth moved but formed no words.

Jayne was emerging from his cabin. In his right arm, nestled like a baby, was a gun unlike any that Castle had seen. Or imagined. It was a kind of rifle, with a scope on top, a long magazine on the bottom, and a silencer on the end of the barrel. Basically, it looked like the kind of gun Arnold Schwarzenegger would scoop up at the end of the movie to take out the bad guys.

Jayne pulled a spring-loaded lever on the gun's side, released it, and stepped towards Castle until their noses nearly touched.

"Six men came to kill me one time," snarled Jayne. "And the best of 'em carried this. It's a Callahan full-bore auto-lock. Customized trigger, double cartridge thorough gauge. It is my very favourite gun. This is the best damn gun made by man. It has extreme sentimental value. I call it… Vera." *

Castle gulped. " _That's_ Vera? Um, okay, how can I help?"

"I'm goin' topside to deliver a message. You'll close the hatch behind me."

With that, Jayne traversed the corridor, climbed a flight of stairs, and then climbed a ladder leading to a circular hatch above. Turning back to Castle, he handed him the gun. "Take this," he said. "Careful like."

Castle took the rifle and held it at arm's length as if it were red hot.

Jayne turned the locking wheel, pushed the hatch open, then called to Castle. "Okay, hand her up."

Castle reached up until Jayne was able to grasp the gun. When Jayne and the gun were clear, Castle sealed the hatch and returned to the bridge.

Mal glanced at him as he entered. "He tell you about the five guys came to kill him?"

"He told me six," said Castle.

Zoe snorted. "Story gets better with every telling," she said.

The pirate boat was coming at them and getting very close.

"Come on Jayne," Mal whispered. "What are you waiting for?"

Just then the pirate boat swerved hard to starboard. "That's more like it," Mal said with a smile.

The pirates continued to turn, then sped back the way they came. But just as the bridge started to breath a sigh of relief, they came about and flew over the waves towards them again.

As they approached, _Serenity_ was hit with a large wave and the boat lurched, causing all but Wash to scramble for support.

"What was that?" said Castle. He'd spotted a dark shape fly off the top of Serenity into the water just to their port side.

Mal sighed. "So much for Jayne," he said.

"Hey!" said Wash. "My Tyrannosaurus."

The toy figure had fallen to the floor when the boat lurched. As Wash bent over to pick it up, he heard glass shattering, saw glass shards falling around him, and felt a whoosh of air at his back.

He tried to sit up, but something was blocking the way. He slid off the chair, stood, and saw that the front viewport glass was shattered and a harpoon was impaled onto the back of his chair. Looking around him, Wash saw that the crew and passengers were stunned and gazing at him wide-eyed.

Wash opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"Looks like our friends mean business," said Mal, first to recover from the shock.

"I almost died," Wash whispered.

"You're fine," said Zoe. "Don't make a big deal of it."

"A big deal? I almost _died_."

"But you didn't," Zoe said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Where'd our friend's go?" said Beckett. There was no sign of the pirates ahead of them or in the aft monitor.

A light was flashing on the console. "Transmission's coming in," said Wash.

"On speaker," said Mal.

Wash reached around and flicked a switch. "Be nice if I could sit down," he commented.

There was a hiss of static, then what they heard was… unexpected, and the crew cast puzzled looks at each other.

"YO HO YO HO A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR ME! WE PILLAGE AND PLUNDER, WE RIFLE AND LOOT…"

"Are these guys for real?" said Castle.

Abruptly, the singing stopped and one gruff voice spoke. "Ahoy, Captain. You might want to stop your engines. See, we have something that belongs to you and we'd hate to see it come to any harm."

Mal and Zoe exchanged glances. Zoe mouthed, "Jayne."

Just then, they heard Jayne's voice in the background. "Don't lissen to 'em."

Grabbing a mic, Mal said, "Ahoy yourself. Seems everything that's ours is safe and sound aboard. So whatever you got, it's no concern of ours."

"Well then," said the pirate with a chuckle. "You won't object if we toss this bit of flotsam back in the ocean."

Jayne's voice came back on. "I don't wanna drown, Mal! Come on, you can lissen to 'em _some_."

Mal muted the mic and shook his head. "Every time we're in a jam he has to start yellin' my name."

"What's your plan, sir?" asked Zoe.

Mal grinned. "We let them board us, then improvise."

Beckett glared at Castle. "What a great holiday, Castle. So relaxing."

Castle gulped, then said, "Well, at least it's not boring."

"You, Kate Beckett," said Mal, "are going to be our wild card."

"What does that mean?" said Beckett.

"You'll see."

* * *

 _* Jayne's introduction to Vera is from the Firefly episode, "Our Mrs. Reynolds"._


	5. Chapter 5

Nestled within a compartment of _Serenity's_ cargo hold, Kate Beckett squeezed River's hand as she peered through the vent holes. Mal had ushered them in here shortly after acknowledging to the pirates that they were prepared to be boarded.

But this wasn't just a compartment. In the dim light, Beckett could see that passage ways, just large enough for an average-sized adult, led off to the left and right.

"They're all over the ship," whispered River, answering Beckett's question before she asked. "We can go anywhere and be ghosts, haunting the pirates." And then River made a warbling, ghostly noise in Beckett's ear. "Woooooo."

"Well that's useful," said Beckett. "We might yet find a way to help the others. But why did he pick me? Why not Zoe, for instance?"

"They might know Zoe," said River. "She's a listed member of the crew. They might notice if she were missing. But they'll have no idea you're here. You'll have the advantage."

"What about you?" said Beckett.

"I'm not on the crew list either." River's eyes drifted away and seemed to be gazing at something far distant. Then she turned to Beckett and smiled. "I'm just _Serenity's_ albatross."

"Albatross," repeated Beckett. "So do you bring them good luck or bad?"

River didn't answer. Instead she turned her attention to the crew. They, along with Castle, were gathered in the cargo bay, waiting in silence. Mal and Zoe stood ahead of the others.

With the engines off, _Serenity_ gently creaked in a lilting cadence as it bobbed upon the ocean. Finally, the passenger door opened and Jayne appeared with a man close behind, one hand on Jayne's shoulder, another with a gun pressed against his head. This required some stretching of limbs on the pirate's part because he was quite a bit shorter than Jayne. Most people were, but this man was _quite_ a bit shorter.

Three other men followed. The last one struggled to close the heavy, metal door behind him.

"These guys are pirates? Castle whispered. "They look more like investment bankers."

A glance from Zoe, her dark eyes narrowing at him, was all it took for him to shut up.

They were pale and pudgy, these pirates, and shared the same thinning dark hair with speckles of grey. Two of them wore small, round glasses with thin silver frames. One sported an eyepatch. _All he's missing is a parrot on his shoulder_ , Castle thought. _And a tan. None of these guys are sunburned. How much time have they actually spent on the water? Or do they just have really, really great block_?

Their baggy trousers and shirts, haphazardly sewn from leftover potato sacks, were accompanied by faded leather vests, boots, and gun holsters slung around their waists. A couple of them added colourful kerchiefs around their necks. _And not a single pirate hat among them_.

The man with the eyepatch moved in front of the others and stood, rocking on the balls of his feet, thumbs hooked into his belt, as he gazed in turn at each of _Serenity's_ crew.

"Jack's the name," he said. "Captain Jack to you."

Castle groaned. Someone kicked him in the shin. The accent was English and he sounded fairly well educated. Probably from London thereabouts. So, what, England has public schools specializing in piracy?

"Now," continued Captain Jack, rubbing his hands together," who would be the captain of this fine vessel?"

 _His hands are perfectly smooth_ , noted Castle. _This guy hasn't done manual labour in his life_.

"I would have that dubious honour," said Mal. "Malcolm Reynold's the name."

Castle could see that Mal's posture was completely relaxed. His face, Castle suspected, likely wore an expression of boredom. _Is he that used to facing down men with guns?_

Mal continued. "There's easier ways to obtain passage, if that's your aim."

Captain Jack looked steadily at Mal then broke into laughter. "This man's funny. Very funny. Now, boys, do we like funny men?"

The response was a mix of answers in the affirmative and negative.

Jack stamped a foot, turned to his men, and said, "No!" His crew silent, Jack added, "We don't like funny men." He looked each of his men in the eye, and when he reached the last one, added, "Do we, Smee?"

The pirate named Smee shook his head vigorously and said, "No, Cap'n, no we don't. Not a bit of it."

Castle, who'd been holding his breath, desperate not to laugh out loud, finally doubled over, helpless with laughter.

Captain Jack folded his hands behind his back and casually strolled past Mal and Zoe, coming to a stop in front of Castle.

"Castle!" Shepherd Book hissed.

"Now then," Jack said to the Shepherd, "let's have none of that. After all, laughter is the best medicine. Isn't it boys?"

The pirates looked at each other, shuffled their feet, and mumbled quietly.

"ISN'T IT, BOYS?" Jack repeated.

"Um, yes…?" said Smee.

"Of course it is," said Jack.

And behind Jack arose a chorus of affirmations that this was in fact the case.

When Castle's laughter was spent, Jack asked quietly, "Find something funny, did we?"

"Captain Jack?" said Castle. "Smee? Are you guys for real?"

"Perhaps I should introduce you to the rest of my crew. On the left we have Bootstrap."

"Hi," Bootstrap said with a brief wave and shy grin.

"Then we have Barbossa," continued Jack.

"Arrgh," Barbossa grunted.

"And of course, Smee," Jack concluded.

Studying Castle, Jack said, "There seems to be something wrong with your face. It's kind of twitchy-like."

Castle, lips held tightly together for dear life, shook his head.

"Hey, just a minute!" said the pirate called Barbossa. He strode forward to stand beside Jack, grinning from ear to ear. "This here man. This is none other than Richard Castle."

"And who's Richard Castle when he's at home then?" said Jack.

"Just my favourite author is all. Got all his books. In fact, the latest Nikki Heat is right here in my pouch."

Barbossa reached into a dirty brown cloth bag tied at the top with drawstring and attached to his belt. He withdrew a book and pen.

"Here we are. _High Heat_ by Richard Castle. Would you do me the very great honour?" said Barbossa, offering Castle the book and pen.

"Seriously?" said Castle. Then, looking up, he saw Mal nod gently.

With a sigh, Castle opened the book and spoke as he wrote, "To Barbossa, the fiercest pirate of the seven seas. Regards, Richard Castle."

Barbossa's brown eyes were wide and watery. "Thanks," he said. "I'll never forget this."

"Don't mention it," said Castle.

"Alright, alright," said Jack as he and Barbossa moved back to their former positions. "Enough of this." Then he addressed Mal directly. "Captain Reynolds. I am, in fact, about to do you a great honour."

"I'm listening," said Mal.

"Your ship. What's she called?"

" _Serenity_ ," said Zoe.

"Ah, _Serenity_. A fine name, that. Fine name. Your ship, _Serenity_ , and you, and your crew, well, you're about to become the latest addition to my fleet."

There was silence for a moment, and Zoe and Mal cast each other a glance.

"That a fact?" said Zoe.

"Pardon me," said Jack. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"This here's Zoe," said Mal. "My first officer."

"Zoe," said Jack, with a friendly smile. "Well, we're nice guys, you know, us pirates. In fact, it might surprise you to learn that until recently, we were bankers."

Castle coughed. Jack raised an eyebrow and continued.

"And we were quite happy, being bankers, weren't we boys?"

Following a chorus of affirmatives, Jack continued. "Then one day, well, to put it plainly, we was robbed. Not only the bank, but WE were robbed. Watches, wallets, rings, and poor Smee here, they even took his new Italian shoes."

Smee nodded sadly in confirmation.

"So," continued Jack, hooking his thumbs into the top of his trousers, "after we give our statements to the coppers in triplicate, we go to the pub to drown our sorrows. Except, see, it occurs to us, the robbers had no choice in the matter. After all, they're British, aren't they?"

Castle blinked. "They're British and…?"

Jack strode forward towards Castle and said, "Well, look at it this way. We're always the villains, aren't we? I mean, take Magneto. British."

"Sir Ian McKellen?"

"Sure. The British are always the villains. So, we figure, see, why not us? We're as British as the best of them. And so we sets out to become the best villains ever. Left the bank, settled in Africa, and now, we're pirates." With that, Jack folded his arms across his chest and smiled, satisfied that the argument was insurmountable.

"Um, Sir Ian also played Gandalf," Castle pointed out.

Beckett, who'd been following the conversation from within the hidden compartment, closed her eyes and shook her head. _Let it go, Castle, for goodness sake let it go. Just this once. You're going to make the guy want to shoot you. Hell,_ I'm _going to want to shoot you._

Jack's eyes widened slightly and he stepped slightly closer to Castle.

"Your point?" said Jack.

Castle, having glanced left and right, chose to ignore the daggers flying from the crew's eyes.

"Well, just that he played a good guy. So, you know, you guys don't _have_ to be bad, do you?"

Jack stepped closer. "Christopher Lee: Count Dooku _and_ Saruman."

"Well, yes, there is that," said Castle, scratching his head.

"Professor Snape," said Jack.

"Alan Rickman? But Snape turned out to be one of the good guys."

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. "You want Alan Rickman? Fine: Hans. Fucking. Gruber." Pulling out his gun and pressing it to Castle's abdomen, he added, "Satisfied?"

"Sure," Castle whispered. "I take your point. No choice but to be bad guys."

 _Hmmm_ , Beckett thought. _Captain Jack, or whatever his name actually is, just gave me an idea_.

"So," continued Jack, moving in front of Zoe, "although we may seem like good guys, and maybe we used to be good guys, we're not good guys."

And with that, Jack suddenly slapped Zoe in the face.

There was stunned silence for a moment as Zoe staggered with the force of the blow. Mal, recovering first, reached for Jack's gun with one hand and grabbed Jack's wrist with the other. But while Mal's attention was on Jack, Smee stepped forward and slammed the butt of his pistol into Mal's head. Mal dropped to the floor.

In the compartment, River tugged at Beckett's sleeve. "We have to go to the engine room," she whispered. "Kaylee's going to need us."

"Kaylee? But she's right here."

"Not for long," said River as she turned and began to shuffle along the narrow corridor. Beckett, torn at first, decided to follow her.

In the cargo bay, Jack told the crew of Serenity to sit on the floor, then signalled to Bootstrap. "Our wet friend can join his crewmates on the floor. Keep an eye on them, yeah?"

"Sure thing, Captain," said Bootstrap as he nudged Jayne forward. Jack meanwhile, joined his other men and conferred with them quietly.

Jayne, his head hanging down, shuffled forward and dropped to the floor beside Kaylee.

"I lost 'er," said Jayne, his eyes large and red, "and I'll never see her again."

"Weren't your fault, Jayne," said Kaylee, her face full of sympathy.

Mal sat upright and rubbed the temple where he'd been clubbed. "We ain't lost her yet," he said.

"What? 'Course we have," said Jayne. "She's likely restin' at the bottom of the ocean by now."

The crew exchanged puzzled glances.

"Jayne," said Zoe, her cheek still burning red, "what we talkin' about here?"

Jayne turned his head to Zoe. "I'm talking 'bout Vera. Of course. What _you_ talkin' 'bout?"

At this, the crew, all except Jayne, winced as Mal issued forth a string of Mandarin curses that continued for quite some time. Jayne nodded his head, impressed.

"Alright," whispered Mal, collecting himself. "We're not done yet. Kaylee?"

Kaylee nodded her head. Mal nodded back, smiled, then turned to Castle. "And of course we have one more ace in the hole, don't we?"


	6. Chapter 6

Jack strode towards the crew of _Serenity_ , adjusted his eyepatch, and declared, "It's time. Time to get this show on the road. More specifically, time to move this here boat to our harbour. Our lair if you like. Now, who here's the engineer?"

Kaylee raised her trembling hand.

* * *

"You?" said Jack. He looked at Mal and Mal nodded.

"Fair 'nough," said Jack, turning back to Kaylee. "Barbossa here is going to take you to get them engines started, yeah?"

Kaylee nodded her head and rose.

"Off you go, then. Any tricks, and you'll be sorry. You'll all be sorry, just so's we're clear."

Kaylee swallowed and nodded wordlessly. Barbossa, gun in hand, gestured for her to lead the way.

Without speaking, they climbed the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the strangely quiet boat, and turned left on the upper level. At the entrance to the engine room, Kaylee paused and cleared her throat. "Engines were under a mighty strain when we tried to outrun you. Heating up something fierce. Would have had to shut them down in any case to cool out some. They may not be happy 'bout startin' up again so soon."

"That's all fine, darling," said Barbossa, nudging her back with the gun barrel. "Let's just see you start 'em up again just the same, quick like."

After they entered the engine room, Kate Beckett pressed gently on an inner hull plate until it swung open, then crept into the corridor. She needed to take this guy out quickly and quietly. There had to be something she could use as a weapon. Maybe a spanner in the engine room. But just then, a reflection caught her eye, causing her to swivel her head.

Beckett smiled.

As Kaylee pushed buttons and turned dials, Barbossa fidgeted beside her. "Come on already, get on with it," he said.

"There's more to it than turning the key in the ignition," Kaylee chided. She felt more in control, less fearful, now that they were in her domain. "Okay, that should do it. Keep your fingers crossed," she said as she pulled a lever.

Serenity shivered and the engine began to hum, turning sluggishly. Kaylee flashed a grin at Barbossa. "See," she said, patting the engine assembly, "she's a good girl."

Just then, sparks flashed, smoke billowed, and the engine shuddered to a stop.

"What's that," Barbossa barked, waving his hands in front of him and coughing. "What just happened?"

"Oh no," said Kaylee, speaking more to the engine than the pirate. "Was afraid of this. Looks like the compression coil is blown." She pointed to a scorched component. "Poor old girl," she whispered.

Turning to Barbossa, Kaylee continued. "Warned the cap'n this could happen. He promised me spare parts. That was six months ago."

"But you can fix it, right?" said Barbossa.

Kaylee shook her head sadly. "'fraid not. Not without spares."

Barbossa stepped towards Kaylee, raised his gun, and pressed it into her abdomen. "Now see here…"

But he was unable to finish his sentence. In fact, he was unable to stand, and fell in a heap upon the deck, somewhat the worse for the wear after receiving a blow to his temple from the blunt end of an axe.

Kaylee's eyes popped and her mouth opened. Beckett wasn't sure if she were going to scream or cry out with joy, but she brought a finger to her lips. "Shhh," Beckett whispered. "We've got to tie him up and get you both out of here. Quietly."

"You knocked him out with… an axe?" Kaylee whispered back.

Beckett winked and hefted the axe. "I think I could used to it."

Kaylee grinned, then went to a compartment and fetched rope and duct tape. Meanwhile, River had joined them.

"Once we've got this guy trussed up," Beckett said, "I want to deliver a note to our friendly pirates."

River nodded, then said, "I may have a better idea."

* * *

"What's going on then, eh?" Jack asked Mal, still seated on the floor along with his crewmates and Castle. "Why didn't those engines stay on?"

"Not being all knowing," said Mal, "it's hard to say. Best ask Kaylee when she's back."

Jack harrumphed, his face twitching with impatience, when a ghostly voice whispered, reverberating all around the pirates and crew.

"Why are you here?" it said. "Why are you _still_ here?"

Mal and Simon exchanged a glance. Mal allowed himself a smirk and Simon nodded. Castle, his head darting back and forth was about to speak when Shephard Book whispered in his ear, "River."

"Who is that?" said Jack. "Show yourself."

"Show myself? But I'm all around you. You walk on my spine. You breathe the air from my lungs. I'm _Serenity_."

"You're… what?" said Smee. "Cap'n, is this boat… haunted?"

"Don't be daft," said Jack, his eyes narrowing in Smee's direction.

"You should leave," continued the voice. A voice. It was changed. Fuller and more mature, but still ethereal. "While you can. One of you already has, and now there are only three of you. Yippee ki-yai, motherfuckers."

Castle, his eyes glazed, turned to Mal and whispered, "Beckett. God I love that woman."

"I believe I'm taking a strong liking to her myself," Mal whispered back.

"What's going on?" said Jack, striding towards Mal again. "Who was that?"

"Truly, I know no more than you do," said Mal.

His cheeks flaming, Jack grabbed Smee by the arm. "Go to the engine room, see what's happening for yourself, and report back."

Smee nodded vigorously and nearly flew up the stairs. He was back in moments. "There's no one there, Cap'n. Place is deserted."

"They didn't just disappear, did they? Where'd they go?"

The crew of _Serenity_ made a point of asking themselves the same question, and finally regarded Jack with blank looks.

"So, said Jack, placing his hands on his hips. He was looking pointedly at the crew of Serenity. "We have a female John fucking McClane on board. Who might that be, then?"

"Already told you," said Mal. "We don't know. My crew's present and accounted for. All 'xcept Kaylee that is. I'd appreciate knowing what happened to her."

Jack paced for a few minutes as Smee and Bootstrap cast nervous looks at each other.

"Bootstrap!" said Jack, coming to a halt finally.

Bootstrap jumped and swallowed. "Aye, Cap'n"

"Smee here will take over guarding the crew. I want you to search the ship. Find Barbossa and bring him back here. I've a few words I'd like to share with him."

Holstering his gun, Bootstrap swallowed again, growled an "Aye, Cap'n" which seemed more timorous than fierce, and climbed up the stairs.

* * *

 _This boat seems bigger on the inside_ , Bootstrap thought. But perhaps not so much bigger as… more convoluted. Who'd have imagined there'd be so many nooks and crannies?

He'd started in engineering, where there was still a trace of smoke and the smell of burnt components. He could see the culprit, a component near the floor that was scorched black. Maybe Barbossa and the engineer had spontaneously combusted. But both of them? At the same time?

Everywhere it was the same. Nothing but stark emptiness, like he was traveling the corridors of the Mary Celeste. Whether in the medical bay, the shuttle boats, crews quarters, the galley, his footsteps echoed around him, amplifying the stillness.

By the time Bootstrap shuffled onto the bridge, his skin felt prickly. Yes, he was scared. Great debut for a pirate. Looking around the bridge, however, he began to feel calmer. Not much to look at, it nevertheless had a comfortable, well lived-in appearance. Once they got this boat to harbour, he'd ask Jack to captain it for him.

Thick, serpentine hoses wheedled their way along the wall, ceiling and floor. Two large viewing ports were set at the front, and there was almost no space that wasn't jammed with monitors or racks of equipment. The pilot and co-pilot consoles were fitted with displays and controls embedded within a scratched, tarnished surface. And… were those toy dinosaurs?

The ocean beckoned outside, clean and blue, with the sun visible to starboard. With a sigh, Bootstrap tore himself away. Time to head back and admit defeat. Jack wasn't going to be pleased.

But as it turned out, that wasn't something Bootstrap had to worry about, for he turned around just in time to see a terrifying figure step out of the darkness wielding an axe.

* * *

Jack, beside himself in the cargo bay, paced even more rapidly than before. His cheeks were flushed crimson, sweat dripped down his forehead. He slowed down once in awhile, just long enough to administer a kick to Smee's shins, admonishing him to keep a closer eye on the crew. Did he have to do everything himself?

The return of the ghostly voice brought Jack to a complete stop.

"It's time to go," said the voice. "I grow weary of your unwelcome intrusion."

Shaking his fist, Jack bellowed, "Come show yourself!"

"Go, while you still can," a second ghostly voice continued. "Two of you already have. Only two remain."

While Jack, doubled over in his fury, stamped his feet and seemed to be trying to pull his hair out by the roots, Castle whispered to Mal, "How are they able to stay so well hidden?"

"Boat's full of compartments," Mal said, keeping his lips still as possible. "Sometimes the only way to know they're there is to know they're there."

Castle looked at Mal for a moment, then his face darkened with understanding.

"What are you smuggling?" Castle whispered.

Mal shook his head slightly. Castle turned to Jayne who shrugged and whispered, "Diamonds."

Whipping his head back around to Mal, Castle glared accusingly.

"T'ain't as simple or as black-and-white as you might think. We here are just getting by, and that's even more complicated since the Tams joined the crew."

Castle turned towards Simon. Simon held his gaze for a moment, then looked down.

"Listen you," said Smee as he pointed to Castle. "Cut your gab before I run you through."

Castle blinked. "With your… sword?"

Smee scratched his head, then said, "Right then. Just shut up before I go out, acquire a sword, come back, and then run you through."

Castle considered this. "Fair enough," he said.

* * *

"We should get to the Galley," said River, after they'd secured the second pirate.

Beckett grabbed River's arm before she could move away. "How is it you know these things? How is it you know what I'm going to say before I say it?"

River sat down beside Beckett and sighed. "I was sent to a boarding school," she said. "A school for advanced learning for high-potential youth. But it was a front for the CIA, and instead of advanced learning, we were subjected to experimentation and torture. I became a lab rat. They did things to me. Injected me with things. They were trying to create super soldiers. Over time I became a reader, sensitive to people's feelings and thoughts. This was over a period of years. Meanwhile, Simon had grown to become a successful doctor, one of the best in New York. I was able to send him encoded messages that I was in trouble. He risked everything to save me. We barely escaped with our lives. His career was ruined. We boarded _Serenity_ and eventually he joined the crew. Turns out they have no great love for the CIA. But there was a cost, and they have to keep moving, taking jobs that probably they shouldn't. And so it goes. And you asked if I brought them good luck or bad…" River trailed off.

Beckett shook her head as she absorbed the story. It was incredible, of course, and yet the proof was literally right in front of her.

Beckett looked River in the eyes, smiled, and told her, "I don't know about the past, but I'd say that today you're bringing them good luck. Plenty of it."

River beamed.

* * *

"Um, Cap'n?" said Smee.

Smee jumped, wiped his forehead, and said, "Pirating, Cap'n, well, it's hungry work, know what I mean? You build up an appetite."

Jack stomped towards Smee until they were nearly nose to nose. "At a time like this, you're telling me you're HUNGRY?" Jack bellowed.

Smee shrugged guiltily.

"Truth is," Mal said, "we could all do with some nourishment."

"Nobody asked your opinion," said Jack, pointing his pistol towards Mal, his arm shaking and face twitching.

"Let's do nothing hasty," said Shepherd Book. "I'm the ship's cook. Why don't you let me fix us up something?"

"Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" said Jack.

"Smee here seems like a good man," said Book. "A man you can trust. He'll make sure I do nothing out of turn."

Jack scrutinized Book, and then Smee, who's stomach made a timely and very loud gurgle.

"Oh, alright, fine. Go ahead with him Smee, but I swear, anything funny happens, I'll start shooting the rest of the crew. You have my word."

"No need for that," said Mal. "Derrial Book here is a Shepherd, as nonviolent as you can get."

Book rose and led the way up the stairs to the galley. Rolling up his sleeves, Book donned an apron, washed his hands, and grabbed handfuls of vegetables, meat, and seasonings. Smee, seated at the table with his gun pointed in Book's direction, had to wipe his chin periodically as he salivated with the smell of cooking.

"You used to be in the corporate world," said Book. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

"Vice admiral I expect," said Smee. "By then we'll have collected the biggest pirating armada the world has seen."

"Interesting," said Book. "You know, of course, that back in the old days, there were no military aircraft, no satellite surveillance."

Smee blinked. "Yeah, so?"

"So where do you suppose you'd hide this armada?"

Smee scratched his chin and set his pistol down. "Well, I expect we'll be able to work that out. A cove somewhere. With caves. Why we've found a place that just about…"

But Smee didn't finish his sentence, and Book turned around at the sound of a loud thud followed by the softer thud of Smee's head coming to rest on the table.

"Kate," said Book. "You laid him out with… an axe?"

"Yeah," said Beckett. "I get that a lot."

* * *

The crew was getting restless in the cargo hold. They'd been seated on the hard floor for hours. And the delicious cooking odors drifting down from the galley didn't help. In fact, they were positively maddening. Even Jack periodically licked his lips in anticipation.

But the return of the ghostly voice put a stop to that.

"Now you're alone," said the voice. "All alone. Leave now, while you can."

Jack let out an anguished wail and once again clutched his hair with his free hand.

"That wife of yours," Jayne said too loudly. "You were right. She sure has surprised me."

"Jayne!" hissed Mal.

Jack spun around. "Your wife. Mr. Castle, your _wife_ is aboard? _She's_ the one responsible for all this?"

"What?" said Castle. "Of course not. My wife's back in New York City. Jayne must be suffering from some sort of trauma."

"Oh he will be," Mal muttered.

Barbossa had left his autographed copy of _High Heat_ on top of a crate. Jack picked up the book and read the summary on the jacket. "NYPD Captain Nikki Heat," he murmured.

Jack pointed the gun at Castle and bid him to get to his feet. "Your wife. Of course. Fancies herself a real John McClane type, does she? Let me guess, she's a cop, yeah? A New York City cop?"

Castle's head went blank. "Um…"

"Sure she is. And she thinks she's a badass, does she? We'll just see about that."

With a gesture, Jack directed Castle to move towards the crate. The crate came up to roughly Castle's mid-section. Stepping behind Castle, Jack grabbed his collar and pushed roughly, forcing Castle to rest his head on the top of the crate next to the book. Jack positioned the gun so that the barrel rested against Castle's temple.

Looking towards the staircase, Jack raised his voice. "Alright, Mrs. Castle, the party's over. Come out and show yourself now. Right now. Or your husband gets it."

There was no answer except silence.

"I'm counting down from ten," bellowed Jack. "Ten, nine, eight, I'm not bluffing! Seven, six."

Jack had been staring towards the stairs and Serenity's upper levels. He wasn't expecting the sound that came from behind him.

"Unhand my husband," a woman screeched.

Jack's head turned, saw an apparition, a shape racing towards him wielding… wielding…

His eyes blank, Jack looked at his wrist, and then his hand, which was no longer attached to his wrist, but resting by itself on the crate next to Castle's head, on top of the copy of _High Heat_.

Jack sank to the floor, screaming.

* * *

"You lied to me, Castle," Beckett said.

They were standing on the dock in Cape Town, the same one from which they'd departed seemingly ages ago. It was getting late in the day. Beckett brushed the hair from her face, the sea breeze having blown it helter skelter. She glanced up at the gulls circling above, and smiled slightly at the sound of ships' horns, the hustle and bustle of the docks, the splash of the waves.

With the pirates dispatched, Kaylee had been able to get the engines started in short order, and had received accolades from the crew for her "smoke and mirror" performance. Upon reaching the dock, the police had taken away the pirates. An ambulance was waiting for Jack, though Simon had already cleaned and sewed his wound. There was no question, though, of re-attaching the hand. Statements had been taken and _Serenity_ was clear to depart.

"Lied to you," Castle repeated, his eyebrows raised.

"You promised no one would lose any body parts on this trip," Beckett reminded him.

Scratching the back of his head, Castle said, "Well I'm not sure I can be held by that promise when you were the one doing the dismembering." Then he grinned at her. "'Unhand my husband' indeed. You've been reading too much Nikki Heat."

Beckett grinned back and playfully punched Castle's shoulder.

Malcolm Reynolds emerged from the boat and approached the couple.

" _Serenity's_ clear for departure. You folks ready to pick up where we left off?"

Beckett and Castle exchanged a glance.

"Well you know, Mal," said Castle, "I think we might have gotten our fill of ocean going just for now. Thanks all the same, though."

"Fair enough. My thanks to you, Ms. Beckett. You're pretty handy in a tight spot. Any time you're looking for a change in careers, let me know."

Mal winked, then turned back to _Serenity_ , his home.

Beckett and Castle sauntered down the pier. Beckett was lost in thought.

"Penny for 'em," Castle said.

"Just thinking about what Mal said, about a change in career. You know, I think I've have had about enough of chasing after bad guys. And I've certainly had enough of one or both of us being chased by them. It might be time to go on to the next thing."

"And what would that be?" said Castle.

"I'm not sure," said Beckett. "I'm going to take some time to think about it."

"Well, I know one thing for sure," Castle said.

"Oh?"

"Whatever it is you do, I'll be right there by your side. Always."

Then, as the sun set behind them, Castle and Beckett strolled along the pier, arm in arm, towards whatever the future held in store for them.

* * *

 _For G.M. and H.A._


End file.
